Crowns Of Dust
by Firecat21870
Summary: Bree is a bat Faunus living in the SDC mines. But when a freak Dust explosion kills all the workers, and only Bree survives- all fingers point to her. Forced into a contrived trial and definite execution, she has two options: flee or die. But thrust into a new world outside of the mines, she knows that even if she could escape death once, Atlas wouldn't let her get away alive.


**Part 1: Shaft**

7 years ago

She heard the sirens, she knew what their signal meant from her mother's constant briefings and lectures, and she _hated_ it.

The constant wailing almost drowned out the cries of frightened human and Faunus children, the roar of Grimm closing in on them like cats to a mouse as they fed off the negative emotions and energy. Bree was terrified, her stubby fledgling bat wings beating furiously as she tried to even get an inch off the ground, to no avail. A Beowolf was closing in fast on her as Bree watched its red gaze. Like the blood on the streets, gleaming in hunger. She gave up her attempts on flight and ran, her small legs stumbling over rubble from crushed houses and tripping over corpses of both slain people and farm animals.

Bree just ran, as fast as she could. But the Beowolf, who should have caught her by now, was just loping slowly towards her. Taking its time and waiting for her to wear herself out so it could make the kill. Bree shot a glance over her shoulder, to see that she had cornered herself in an alleyway. Then, an idea hit her- a stupid, stupid idea, but it was her only choice. Bree outstretched her folded wings and dug the hooked tips into the stone wall and tried climbing, but shooting pain from the claws made her release her grip. She slid down back to the ground as the Beowolf charged her again, a quick canter as its jaws opened to eat her whole, releasing the scent of death from its previous kills, into Bree's face.

" _Bree!_ " A familiar voice yelled, but it was not the gentle loving tone her father always used for her, but a panicked scream. Bree curled up in a tight ball, shielding her face with her wings, and waited for her death- her father would not be able to save her this time.

An enraged snarl from the Beowolf made her look up, to see her father's dark wings beating wildly as he swooped down and dug his knife into its skull. Bree could only watch in amazement as he kicked the dying Grimm away and grabbed her before taking flight in a rapid upwards spiral.

"What the hell were you thinking? I told you to stay with Lucius!" He reprimanded harshly. Bree cringed away from his smoldering black gaze.

"Uncle Lucius was killed, daddy, by a Nevermore." Bree responded quietly.

Her father bowed his head for a second in grief, before grasping Bree under her arms and taking off.

"Daddy, where are we going now?" Bree asked. Her father spiraled away from a Nevermore's attack before responding calmly.

"We're going somewhere safer. Eleva Forest might offer some safety for you." He said, flying away from the forest. A murder of Nevermores followed them.

Swearing, Bree's father sped up, the wind whipping Bree's face.

Then, Bree felt it before it soared by her father's port wing. A ripper arrow, as the Faunus called it. Designed to tear through the thin membrane of wings of flying Faunus. But who would be shooting at them?

An instant later, another hit and struck true. Bree screamed as she saw blood well at the gaping hole in her father's starboard wing.

Then, another followed the port wing. And another, and another until four holes were in each wing, sending the two Faunus crashing down at terrifying speed.

"Bree! Go!" Her father screamed through the wind into Bree's ear, before releasing Bree.

Bree knew what her father meant, but the pounding wind kept her from opening her tiny wings.

"DADDY!" Bree screeched, seeing more ripper arrows slice through her father's wings as he hurtled to the ground, shredded wings doing nothing to slow him.

"BREEZE!" Her father was screaming, but the wind had torn his voice away, making their voices lost to each other.

Bree felt tears well in her eyes as she finally opened her wings, and pain exploded from the sudden change of speed.

Dropping down slower now, Bree got to watch her father disappear into the trees of the forest.

Angling herself with much difficulty, Bree half-fell, half-glided to the area of where her father had landed.

Landing- or attempting to land, involved a bone bruising crash into a bush.

Stumbling to her feet, Bree called out "Daddy? Where are you?"

Her father was strong, he will find her and they would return to the village to have her mother care for his wings.

There was no response. But then Bree heard it: CLICK!

Echolocation.

"Daddy?!" Bree called into the surrounding darkness.

"Daddy?!... Daddy!... Daddy?..." the forest threw her voice back at her.

Bree heard a sharp _**snap!**_ of a branch breaking under someone's foot.

"B...Br...eee...ze…" a voice rasped. Bree spun towards the source and saw her father step into Bree's view.

"Daddy!" Bree exclaimed, running to him in happiness before hugging him, oblivious to him wincing.

Her father quickly peeled her off him to Bree's surprise. He grabbed something on his belt and gave it to Bree. She looked at it and saw an unfamiliar name: Simon.

"Daddy, what is this?" Bree asked. But her father fell to his knees, holding his chest.

"A… knife… my knife…" He said. Bree looked in alarm as she realized that her father's hands were stained in blood, and puddles of it were dripping from his shredded wings.

"Daddy?!" Bree cried out in horror, hugging him.

Her father coughed, a glob of dark liquid came from his mouth and hit Bree's left wingtip.

"R… run… Bree… run… like the-" he coughed up more of the liquid, blood. "... run… like… the… wind…" he gasped in clear agony.

"Daddy!" Bree shouted as her father fell forward onto her, crushing her under his weight.

Bree struggled under the body of her father. But she felt the rapid beating of her father's heart fading until it stopped. The only sound than was silence.

"D… d… d… daddy…?" Bree choked out. Tears were blurring her vision and her chest tightened as her throat constricted.

Suddenly, it was no longer silent, but filled with the sobs of a child.

Bree cried, pleading for her father to get up. That she was tired and wanted to go home. And asking why he won't wake up.

"He won't be waking up, child." A voice growled. Bree turned around to see a hooded figure above her.

"W… why… w-w-won't… h-he wake… u-up?" Bree whimpered.

"He's dead, child." The figure replied. With a rough kick, Bree felt her father's body topple off her.

About to thank the figure, she stopped as she felt a cold bite of steel on her wings and then a sharp pain that made her scream, that did little to drown out a sickening _**CRACK!**_

Her wings. Her wings were in agony. She was blinded by the pain as she screamed. It was like nothing she ever felt before. The delicate bones had snapped and now they hung limp at her side.

Bree felt the world start to spin. Then, a sack was tied over her head and she knew no more, eager to escape into unconsciousness from the pain.

Meanwhile, the figure shook his head and muttered. "To break a bird, you must first clip its wings." He sighed than "Another Faunus for the mines. I'm not getting paid enough. Simon was too hard to kill already." He said. He then grabbed Bree and slung her over his shoulder.

In the village, a woman watched an airship fly from the forest away towards the mountains. Towards Atlas. But in the darkness, Holly realized that a dreaded snowflake symbol was there.

Praying that Simon and Bree would come back safely to her. But she already knew the answer in her heart. She had seen what happened as Simon fled.

Ripper arrows.

Tears in her eyes. Holly wept for her mate and daughter, knowing they were gone.


End file.
